“Office Sexual Assault: Woman Awarded Over €50,000 for Employer’s Failure to Implement Harassment Prevention Measures”

A female office worker who suffered “extreme distress and trauma” after being sexually assaulted by a male colleague in an open office has been awarded over €50,000 by the Workplace Relations Commission. The commission found that Deadline Direct Ltd failed to implement sufficient harassment prevention measures before the assault occurred and ordered the maximum possible compensation to be paid to the worker. The incident occurred in May 2021 when the complainant, Charlotte O’Brien, was assaulted by a male colleague referred to as Mr X in front of other male colleagues. The harassment was part of a pattern of behaviour by Mr X, including comments about Ms O’Brien’s weight and appearance over several months. Despite reporting the incident to the day manager, the matter was not resolved by the company, leading to Ms O’Brien taking a sick leave and ultimately reporting the incident to the Gardai. The Dublin courier accused Ms O’Brien of not fully engaging in the grievance process during the hearing, which was dismissed by the adjudication officer, who found that the company’s handbook did not contain a clear and distinct policy on sexual harassment. The officer ordered the company to pay the maximum compensation to Ms O’Brien, amounting to €50,440.